Improvement in horseshoes



T D. ALGER." Horseshoes.

No. 198,923. Patented Jan. 8,1878.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. O.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DARIUS ALGER, OF PROVIDENCE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOSEPH O. TILLINGHAST, OF NATIOK, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN HORSESHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 198,923, dated January 8, 1878; application filed October 4, 1877.

To an whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DARIUS ALGER, of the city and county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes; and I hereby declare .that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a horses foot provided with my improved shoe. Fig. 2 is a horizontal view, showing the horseshoe in section at-the toe and the curved ends at the heels, as. also the curved line of the "lower surface, by which a certain amount of elasticity is secured.

Fig. 3 is a top view of my improved horseshoe, showing the outward- .ly-beveled surface and the inwardly-beveled surface, as also the location of the nail-holes. Iiig. 4 is a view of the bottom of the horses loe.

The object of the invention is to provide a horseshoe which will fit closely to the crust of the foot, and which will gradually widen the foot, and, by relieving the pressure on the bone in the foot connecting with the leg, cure lameness, and also relieve the softer portion ofthe foot from pressure, and prevent corns or other injury.

The invention consists in providing a horseshoe with an outwardly-beveled surface or margimto fit the crust of the foot and sustain the weight, an inwardly-sloping beveled sur face, to prevent contact with the inner and softer portion of the foot, and a curved heel, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, A represents the foot; B, the shoe; 0 0, an outward and downward beveled surface on the outer edges of the shoe, the angle of which is greatest at the heel, and, diminishing, ends at the toe in a level surface. On this outer beveled surface 0 O the crust of the foot at the quarter and toe is made to fit closely, so as to support the weight on the crust, it being the hard, durable, and natural support of the foot, adapted to with stand the wear and sustain the weight without injury; and as the surface 0 is beveled outward most at the heel and least at the toe, the wearing of this shoe widens the foot by spreading the crust and as the principal cause of lameness is the contraction of the crust, causing pressure on the lower bone of the leg in the foot, the spreading of the crust and widening of the foot relieves this pressure and cures lameness.

d is the toe end of the shoe; f, the inner beveled surface, arranged to leave some space between the shoe and the softer portion of the foot, which space soon fills with earth, maintaining a moist condition of the foot, keeping the pores open, preserving the, foot in healthy condition, relieving the innerpart of the foot from pressure, and preventing corns, sores, and other foot diseases.

E E are the heel ends of the shoe, which are curved downward, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and do not come in contact with the foot. The shoe is slightly curved, as is shown in Fig. 2, and this, with the curved heels, allows a certain amount of spring to the shoe, which softens the sudden shocks incident to the placing of the foot.

It will be observed, on examining Fig. 3, that the upper surface of my improved horseshoe presents a raised central ridge, from which the outer surface slopes downward most at the heels and less toward the toe, and that three nail-holes are placed on each quarter, near the toe. The wearing of the shoe gradually spreads the crust and widens the foot,

and, by removing the cause of lameness, cures the same. From time to time the shoe should be removed and spread at the heels, and carefully refitted to the foot until the foot is of sufiicieut width, when the usual horseshoe may be again used.

I do not claim making horseshoes with an outward and inward bevel, and the heel ends turned inwardly to support the frog.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A horseshoe having an outward bevel, 0, running around the surface, deeper at the heel ends than on the toe, with a gradual slope, and an interior bevel, f, the heel ends E E rounded off, and arranged to support the foot at the counters, and not at or near the frog, substantially as and for the purpose described.

DARIUS ALGER.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH A. MILLER, Anos A. WHITE. 

